Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, the first men to land on the moon, plant the U.S. flag on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Artifacts from the historic moon landing will visit the St. Louis Science Center in 2018. AnonymousAP

Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, the first men to land on the moon, plant the U.S. flag on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Artifacts from the historic moon landing will visit the St. Louis Science Center in 2018. AnonymousAP

Apollo 11 command module is coming to a science center near you

The St. Louis Science Center will host the “Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission” exhibit during the 49th anniversary of the moon landing, on July 20, 2018.

A release from the Saint Louis Science Center stated the traveling exhibition will visit only four museums and comes from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. and will be on display in St. Louis from April 14 to Sept. 3, 2018.

“St. Louis played a vital role in the Space Race, with McDonnell-Douglas serving as a key leader in the development of the Mercury and Apollo mission technology,” Bert Vescolani, president and CEO of the Science Center, said in the release. “We are honored to have the opportunity to host this exhibition, which represents an iconic period in our country’s history. We are the only museum in the Midwest to host this exhibition, which is so special for the city of St. Louis. We feel very honored because we know that for many people this will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see these artifacts.”

The exhibit will feature the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, which has not left its museum home in 46 years, in addition to 20 artifacts from the historic mission.

“‘Destination Moon’ will help visitors of all ages to appreciate the accomplishment of the Moon Landing and all of the work that went into making it happen,” Vescolani said in the release. “We hope the exhibition inspires our guests to think about what is next in space discovery. Perhaps one of them will play a role in exploring Mars and beyond.”